Products are typically shipped to retailers in bulk by enclosing multiple individual product units in a container, such as a carton or box. For example, canned foods may be shipped to a retailer in a box containing twenty-four individual cans. Then, it is typically the retailer's obligation to remove the individual product units from the container and present them (e.g., on a shelf) to consumers.
Alternatives to the traditional package-ship-unpack-display model have been developed in an effort to improve operating efficiency. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,922,437 (issued on Apr. 12, 2011) discloses a product dispensing system that includes a dispenser having a support structure, a product display area and an opening tool. The dispenser may be positioned on a retailer's shelf and loaded with product simply by placing a container comprising multiple units of product onto the support structure of the dispenser. As the container is being placed onto the support structure, the opening tool of the dispenser opens the container in such a manner that product rolls from the container and down to the product display area of the dispenser under the force of gravity.
Unfortunately, product dispensing systems may experience product bridging that prevents products from properly exiting the container and moving through the dispenser. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, when a container 2 is positioned on a dispenser 4, a product 6A may bridge the gap between the container 2 and product 6B, thereby preventing all of the products 6 from passing through the opening 8 in the container 2 and moving into the dispenser 4.
Accordingly, those skilled in the art continue with research and development efforts directed to product dispensing systems.